


Long Journey

by orphan_account



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Pirate Ateez, a panic attack is mentioned but it doesn’t go into much detail, captain hongjoong, im sorry this story is kinda sad, ooc hongjoong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:40:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21786697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “Captain Hongjoong, I’m feeling ill, I don’t think I can help with crew duties for a few days.”“Ill? You’re pulling my leg, San. I’ve seen you wrestle a tuna with a sprained wrist, I don’t want to hear that illness is holding you back.”San fixed the hat on his head and weakly stood up, muttering an “Aye aye captain” as he headed out to the deck.That was Hongjoong’s first mistake.
Kudos: 44





	Long Journey

“Captain Hongjoong, I’m feeling ill, I don’t think I can help with crew duties for a few days.”

“Ill? You’re pulling my leg, San. I’ve seen you wrestle a tuna with a sprained wrist, I don’t want to hear that illness is holding you back.”

San fixed the hat on his head and weakly stood up, muttering an “Aye aye captain” as he headed out to the deck.

That was Hongjoong’s first mistake.

About a year ago, Hongjoong set out with his crew to the ocean in hopes they could find gold, honor, and eternal life. If only Hongjoong knew walking to their ship would be the last time they would ever see sand.

It was months into their journey, the crew was a proficient, strong, family. They were ecstatic, in only a few weeks they would find themselves at the island that held their treasure.

Months passed by instead.

Hongjoong didn’t let this bother him, not one bit. They _will_ find their treasure.

They remained determined, everyone trusted Hongjoong’s leadership, and more importantly, each other. They would get there soon, they will find their treasure.

San fell sick a few days later. Hongjoong insisted he kept working, they needed to work as hard as possible, through sickness and health.

The rest of the crew noticed San’s depleting condition.  
It was Wooyoung who first spoke up, “Captain, I understand we need to persist in our journey, but please, don’t make San do more work, he’s pale and weak, I’ll even do twice the work if I have to!”

“No, Wooyoung, I won’t overwork anybody on this ship. San is as strong as steel, and he’s doing the same work as everyone else. Give him a few days and he’ll be up on his feet with the same energy he’s always had.”

“Captain please-“

“I’m not asking for your input, now go prepare dinner, as you were assigned.”

“...aye-aye Captain”

San slowly walked by, carrying two planks of wood in his arms. He stopped at the sight of Hongjoong approaching him. “Yes Captain?” said San, releasing a few small coughs shortly after. “What are you carrying? Just two? I know you’re stronger than that, San” San shifted his arms, allowing the ends of the planks to rest on the deck “m’ sorry Captain, I’m trying my best, I just feel so tired”. Hongjoong knit his eyebrows, “We all need to work hard if we want to survive long enough to reach this island!”

“Really Captain, I’m trying my hardest”

“Fine, just be sure the hull is repaired by sunset”

The next morning, San didn’t wake up when the rest of the crew did, it took Jongho going to wake him up to realize the problem.

San was icy cold and emotionless.

It broke everyone’s heart to have to throw him into the vast blue sea, his body forever being one with the ocean.

But the crew carried on.

A few days later, the waves began to stir. 

_A storm_ Yunho had said.

The crew was all hands on deck, reinforcing the mast, weighing down the ship, everything they could manage. The first drops of water began to fall from the sky.

The rain beat down hard on the ship, leaving the members huddled together, chilled by the cool that the water brought with it.

As they stayed under, Yunho pushed himself out of the group, frantically yelling about leaving his important supplies overboard.

“My compass and sword will rust! The maps will soak!”

He was immediately pulled back down, told it was far too dangerous.

But Hongjoong agreed with his worry as well. “Yeosang, go with Yunho, it’s safer”

Yeosang reluctantly stood up and walked with Yunho, despite the rest of the crew’s please.

“It’s too risky!”

“Please don’t go!”

“You’re worth more than a compass and a sword”

After the storm subsided in the morning, the pair was nowhere to be found.

Mingi checked every corner.

Jongho looked through every room.

Nothing.

Seonghwa could have sworn he saw a pirate’s hat floating in the distant horizon, but it was probably only his imagination.

Along with the pair, the crew lost their only means of navigation.

They were truly, truly, lost at sea.

But Hongjoong did not give up, he never would.

He searched for Wooyoung to tell him he needs to scrub the sides of the ship.

He was nowhere to be seen.  
He headed to the boys quarters, thinking maybe he was asleep or learning to read.

Instead, he found him with his knees put up to his chest, sobbing.

“I can’t Captain, I miss them” he said through broken sobs “I can’t work anymore, everything hurts too much”

Hongjoong insisted working would brighten his spirit.

That night, the crew found him with his own cutlass buried in his neck.

The ocean took him just the same.

The crew was a mere skeleton of what it used to be, Mingi, Seonghwa, and Jongho carrying out tasks as they usually would. They never did them like how they used to, though. They used to have a swing in their step, smiles on their faces, endless chatter, and unbreakable wills. Now they’ve all accepted what they were, lost forever. They often found themselves staring off into the horizon, praying they would one day see any hint of land.

The ocean stayed still, endless, and blue.

•••

It had been several months now, or at least that’s what they thought. Wooyoung was supposed to be the one who tracked time.

It was only a week ago when Seonghwa jumped into the ocean in a fit of tears, never to be seen again.Jongho began to wake up frequently in panic attacks about the water, how it’s the last thing he’ll ever see, how it’s taken everyone’s bodies mercilessly. 

He sparsely went up to the deck, and grew a sickly pale, but he couldn’t trust himself to look at the water without breaking down.

Mingi, on the other hand, became determined again, ecstatic even. He was going to find land, he was going to make the ship happy again.

Because he’ll get rid of who caused all of this.

Their captain.

At night he would secretly sharpen his cutlass, making sure it was sharp enough to slice right through almost anything that stands in the metal’s way.

This was justice.

Hongjoong observed the seas, telescope over his eye, but once again, seeing nothing but deep blue.

He lowered his telescope upon hearing the sound of rushed footsteps.

Mingi didn’t hesitate as he dashed to Hongjoong, sword pointed right where the man’s heart would be.

To Mingi’s dismay, however, Hongjoong saw him too early.

It was too late when Mingi felt it, the sharp pain and burning heat in his stomach. Hongjoong’s sword. He wailed in agony as his cloth outfit turned crimson red. Mingi couldn’t form words, only incoherent sobs as his blood poured. Mingi let out a scream as Hongjoong pulled the sword out, as his blood started pouring out of him. He coughed up red, choking through his cries.

Despite his insides being drained, and his head lightening, Mingi choked out his last words,

“You’re... not... my.... Captain”

“Well good, once you die the sea will take you quite happily”

Hongjoong watched the color fade from his skin as he slowly collapsed to the ground, gurgling out his last coughs before he lay still.

As Hongjoong let him fall to the water, he looked around.

His crew was gone.

Hongjoong no longer believed in treasure, all he knew was the endless blue that led to the demise of the only people he trusted. Knowing one day it will take him too and return his heart to the depths of the ocean.

But Hongjoong knew somewhere deep down that it simply wasn’t true. The ocean would never take his heart.

He knew the emptiness of his ship, and the newfound blood in the ocean could all be traced back to him.

_ All because of treasure _

  
  
Hongjoong picked up his cutlass.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it through this, you’re probably fine because I’m bad at writing angst.


End file.
